Drinking tube attachment for beverage containers



May 20,. 1969 A. H.' SWEET ET AL 3,445,033

DRINKING TUBE ATTACHMENT FOR BEVERAGE CONTANERS i -liled Nov. 2. 1967 L- Fi ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,445,033 DRINKING TUBE ATTACHMENT FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS Alvin H. Sweet, Los Angeles, Calif. (5168 Wood Ave., Apt. B, South Gate, Calif. 90280), and Don A. Sweet, 27026 Freeport Road, Palos Verdes, Calif. 90274 Filed Nov. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 680,090 Int. Cl. A47g 19/22 U.S. Cl. 220-90.2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention pertains to a particular mode of equipping a beverage container with a drinking tube mounted on the exterior of the container in a manner whereby the tube may be readily detached from the container and utilized in imbibing the liquid content of the latter; the essence of the invention residing in encasing the drinking tube in a disposable protective sheath attached to the container in encompassing relation thereto whereby the drinking tube is protected against contamination while so mounted, yet is conveniently accessible for use, all without involving any modification of the structure of the container to adapt it for mounting of the drinking tube thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Numerous United States patents have been issued on drinking tube attachments for beverage containers wherein the tube on being detached from the container and the latter opened, the tube may be inserted in the container and the liquid content of the latter imbibed therefrom through the tube in the usual manner.

The present invention is an improvement in the art in that it does not require any alteration in or adaptation of the conventional construction of the container to accommodate mounting the drinking tube thereon be it a can or a bottle, yet provides a mode of attachment of the drinking tube to the container whereby the tube when mounted thereon is sheathed against exposure to contamination in a readily accessible manner. This is accomplished by encasing the drinking tube in a exible cover capable of being mounted on a container in a manner such that the tube may be readily detached and then be inserted in the opened container and employed in the usual manner in imbibing the liquid content of the latter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a view in side elevation partly in section with portions broken away of the drinking tube in its encompassing sheath preliminary to attachment of the assemblage to a container;

PIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a beverage containing can showing the drinking tube assemblage as applied;

FIG. 4 is a cross section and plan view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in section and elevation as seen on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation depicting the encased drinking tube as applied to a bottle.

Referring to the drawing more specifically A indicates a conventional beverage container having a cylindrical side wall B which container may comprise a metallic can as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 or may consist of a bottle as shown in FIG. 6.

In carrying out the invention a wrap-around assemblage C is provided particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprising an elongate flexible drinking tube 7 encased in a tubular tiexible sheath 8 having a length slightly exceed- 3,445,033 Patented May 20, 1969 ing the length of the tube 7 and arranged with its end portions projecting from the ends of the tube 7 as shown in FIG. l.

The sheath 8 snugly conforms to the perimeter of the tube 7 in separable relation thereto and has its outer side wall portion 9 divided longitudinally throughout its length as indicated at D whereby said outer wall portion may be spread apart along the division D to free the tube as shown in FIG. 5. The tube 7 and sheath 8 are formed of a suitable plastic material.

The above recited tubular assemblage C is iiexible and is preferably elongated transversely with its opposite sides attened as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 whereby in its application the assemblage C may be and is readily wrapped around the container A with the divided side wall 9 of the sheath 8 outermost. The assemblage C is held in place on the container by either one or both of two means of attachment namely a label E overlying the adjacent ends of the sheath and adhered to the container and by an adhesive F interposed between the sheath 8 and the surface of the container, as shown in FIG. 5.

Where the adhesive F is employed it may be applied either continuously throughout the inner surface of the sheath 8 or spotted at intervals along the length thereof; it being contemplated that the assemblage C be either securely attached to the container such as to inhibit or render difficult detachment of the sheath 8 or that the sheath 8 be merely held in place on the container in a manner such as to permit its ready removal. In either event, the drinking tube 7 will be completely encased in the sheath 8 so as to be protected against contact with contaminating surfaces while associated with the container, yet is readily accessible for use when needed, since by breaking the label E or stripping the label from the container A and assemblage C the outer wall of the sheath 8 may be spread apart along the division D to give access to the tube 7 and the latter then readily grasped and removed from the sheath whereupon on opening the container as by puncturing the end of the can of FIG. 3, or removing the cap of the bottle of FIG. 6, the tube may be inserted in the container and then utilized in imbibing the liquid content of the container in the usual manner.

In some instances it may be desirable to remove the sheath from engagement with the container, but in some cases such is not necessary, as here the emptied container is discarded in which event the used drinking tube 7 and sheath 8 may be discarded therewith.

IBy the recited construction and mode of operation a beverage container may be readily equipped with a drinking tube without modification of the conventional mode of construction of the container and in a manner whereby the tube will be shielded when not in use yet be readily accessible when needed.

We claim:

1. A drinking tube attachment for beverage containers having side walls, said attachment comprising a tubular sheath, a drinking tube encased in said sheath in detachable relation thereto; said sheath and tube assemblage being flexible and capable of being wrapped around the beverage container side walls; means for interconnecting the assemblage and container side walls; said tubular sheath being separably divided longitudinally on one side thereof throughout the length thereof.

2. A drinking tube attachment for beverage containers having side walls, said attachment comprising a tubular sheath, a drinking tube encased in said sheath in detachable relation thereto; said sheath and tube assemblage being flexible and capable of being wrapped around the beverage container side walls, and means for interconnecting the assemblage and container side walls comprising a label adherable to the container in overlying relation to the adjacent end portions of said assemblage;

said tubular sheath being divided longitudinally on the outer side thereof throughout the length thereof.

3. The combination with a beverage container having a side Wall, of an assemblage comprising a tubular sheath and a drinking tube demountably encased in said sheath, said assemblage being flexible and Wrapped around said container side Wall With the ends of said sheath contiguous each other, and means interconnecting the end portions of said sheath with said container side Wall; said interconnecting means comprising an adhesive interposed between said sheath and the container side Wall.

4. The combination with a beverage container having a side wall, of an assemblage comprising a tubular sheath and a drinking tube demountably encased in said sheath,

-said assemblage vbeing flexible and wrapped around said container side wall with the ends of said sheath contiguous each other, means interconnecting the end portions of `said sheath v vith said container side Wall comprising an .adhesive interposed between said sheath and the container side wall together with a label overlying the end .portions of said assemblage and adhered to said container side wall.

5. The combination with a beverage container Ahaving a side wall, of a tubular assemblage comprising a tubular sheath and aA drinking tube. demountably encased in said sheath, said assemblage being exible and wrapped around said container lside Wall with the ends of said sheath contiguous each other, and means interconnecting the end portions of said sheath with said container side wall; said tubular assemblageheing elongated transversely with said tubular sheathbeing separably divided throughout the length thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

Us. c1. XR. 20a-46; 21S- 1; 239-33 

